Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Windsor Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Windsor, used by 99,824 or 35% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Windsor residents is Propane, used by 57,954 homes (20%). The other homes are heated with Natural Gas (19%), Electricity (13%), Wood (11%), and Other (2%).
Windsor County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55,373 | 57,954 | 36,366 | 99,824 | 33,030 | 1,820 | 4,366 |
| 2024 | 56,646 | 56,523 | 33,651 | 101,281 | 30,344 | 1,660 | 4,241 |
| 2023 | 48,131 | 54,853 | 27,940 | 102,091 | 38,497 | 1,670 | 4,784 |
| 2022 | 50,240 | 51,520 | 24,105 | 105,894 | 36,184 | 1,106 | 6,886 |
| 2021 | 50,677 | 51,992 | 22,510 | 105,005 | 33,125 | 1,349 | 4,533 |
| 2020 | 49,752 | 50,131 | 19,616 | 106,832 | 33,799 | 948 | 4,630 |
| 2019 | 48,826 | 48,270 | 16,723 | 108,658 | 34,473 | 547 | 4,727 |
| 2018 | 47,328 | 44,423 | 14,122 | 108,961 | 40,731 | 819 | 3,930 |
| 2017 | 47,036 | 43,339 | 14,035 | 107,395 | 38,840 | 612 | 3,997 |
| 2016 | 46,388 | 42,621 | 14,097 | 106,498 | 39,455 | 571 | 3,822 |
| 2015 | 45,256 | 40,280 | 12,610 | 108,532 | 42,271 | 263 | 4,298 |
| 2014 | 43,091 | 38,116 | 11,250 | 115,387 | 43,828 | 179 | 4,258 |
| 2013 | 42,192 | 38,339 | 11,779 | 111,011 | 44,411 | 257 | 3,630 |
| 2012 | 41,601 | 38,497 | 12,532 | 114,708 | 46,051 | 206 | 3,749 |
| 2011 | 39,163 | 39,551 | 10,855 | 122,786 | 41,261 | 98 | 2,834 |
| 2010 | 41,357 | 35,529 | 13,667 | 122,832 | 38,777 | 122 | 3,182 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Windsor
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Windsor. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of homeowners using heating oil declined from 106,832 to 99,824, a 7% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Windsor
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 50,131 to 57,954, a 16% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 49,752 to 55,373, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Windsor
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Windsor. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 19,616 to 36,366, a 85% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Windsor
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Currently, 1,820 homes in Windsor are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 92% gain from 2020, when 948 homes utilized active solar heating.
Windsor County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Windsor County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Windsor’s overall heating oil consumption changes from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Windsor was 20.4°F, which was 6.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Windsor County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 20.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 26.8° F |
Windsor County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Windsor families heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Windsor plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Windsor. Full service companies such as or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Windsor cash heating oil companies serving Windsor include BART Energy Llc and Jam Fuel Llc.
Windsor Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Windsor: 7 companies .
Average Number of Windsor Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 14261
Windsor Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 houses in Windsor heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Windsor temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Windsor residences depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
17.2% of Windsor County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Windsor County Households | Windsor County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 579,101 | 99,824 |
34 Windsor Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 92,108,924 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Windsor houses during this past winter, the Windsor community depends on its 34 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Windsor, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Apex in Rensselaer, NY. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Windsor and the surrounding area.
